(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery, and more particularly, to a rechargeable battery designed for a vehicle, and provided with cells preferably of high output, high capacity and light weight.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a lithium ion rechargeable battery has attracted public attention as a next generation energy storage medium, and it has been used in various fields such as electronics, vehicles, a smart grid, etc. Specially, a lithium ion rechargeable battery applied to a vehicle has preferred characteristics of light weight and low cost as well as high output and high capacity.
The lithium ion rechargeable battery used for a vehicle has various forms, which are different based on the requirements of different manufacturers, and two such forms may be classified as a can type and a pouch type. A cell type of lithium ion rechargeable battery can be selected based on the manufacturer thereof, and then a module and a pack are configured corresponding to the selected cell type. However, there arises a need to select a cell type designed specifically for a vehicle, considering the importance of management of a module and a pack.
FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view illustrating a can type cell according to a related art and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view illustrating a pouch type cell according to a related art. In conventional cells of a can type and a pouch type, there arise drawbacks that in a case of the can type cell, it is difficult to bond different kinds of materials of laser metal and insulation material, liquid is leaked due to poor laser welding, weight of exterior material increases the weight thereof, manufacturing procedures of module/pack system are complicated, and the number of components is increased.
Further, in a case of the pouch type cell, defects such as cracks or fine holes, which cannot be detected in a manufacturing process, may be generated so that air or moisture can permeate into the defects, corrosion may be made, and insulation may be ruptured therethrough. Meanwhile, it is weak to a physical impact and thus additional protection units are needed to cause poor cells after manufacturing module/pack.
The description provided above as to the related art is just for helping understanding the background of the present invention and should not be construed as being included in the related art known by those skilled in the art.